Professionals aren’t smarter than you. They probably don’t have secrets you don’t have—or can’t get. Instead, they are just persistent. When they whiff, they adjust their grip, straighten their shoulders, and take another swing. Because they stay at it, they eventually see results.

Professionals reach high achievements because they just keep going.

Persistent leaders are also learners. They know they don’t know it all and so they keep learning. Stephen Key lists learning as one of five tips on how persistence pays off. “Reading advice from successful people, whether it’s online or in a book, can jumpstart your enthusiasm.” Enthusiasm and energy keep us going.

Focus on your goals and work hard; the payoff will come through your persistent efforts.

—The Product Management Perspective: To create successful products requires persistent effort and hard work. Obtaining the right inputs, understanding the market problems, determining the best way your product will solve those problems, creating requirements and defining releases (among other things) requires tremendous persistence. Product payoff does not come overnight, but instead comes over time and with persistence.